# REI AMI

> REI AMI (born Sarah Yeeun Lee) is a Korean-American singer, rapper, and genre-bending artist from Germantown, Maryland, who blends hip-hop, R&B, alternative pop, and pop-punk aggression into a sound entirely her own. After breaking through with Sub Urban's viral 'Freak' (2020) and debuting with her mixtape FOIL (2021), she catapulted to global stardom in 2025 as Zoey in Netflix's animated film KPop Demon Hunters, voicing and performing as part of the fictional K-pop trio HUNTR/X. Their single 'Golden' became Netflix's most-watched film's signature track, hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and won both a Grammy and an Oscar — firsts for any K-pop song.

- **Role:** Artist at Republic Records / HUNTR/X
- **Organizations:** HUNTR/X, Republic Records, Visionary Music Group
- **From:** Seoul, South Korea
- **Nationality:** Korean-American
- **Education:** High School Diploma, Northwest High School, Germantown, Maryland, Bachelor's Degree, University of Maryland, College Park
- **Known for:** First K-pop song to win a Grammy Award (Best Song Written for Visual Media, 68th Grammy Awards, 2026), First K-pop song to win an Academy Award (Best Original Song, 98th Oscars, 2026), First K-pop act to top the US Billboard Hot 100 (as HUNTR/X)

## Career timeline

- **1995** — Born Sarah Yeeun Lee in Seoul, South Korea
- **2001** — Family relocates to Germantown, Montgomery County, Maryland
- **2014** — Graduates Northwest High School; enrolls at University of Maryland
- **2018** — Graduates University of Maryland; relocates to Los Angeles to pursue music career
- **2019** — Releases debut single 'Snowcone', filmed for under $100; goes viral on TikTok; signs with Visionary Music Group
- **2020** — Featured on Sub Urban's 'Freak', which goes massively viral (292M YouTube views, #28 Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs); named Ones to Watch Top 21 Artists
- **2021** — Releases debut mixtape FOIL (June 25) feat. Aminé and Lolo Zouaï; tours with Tinashe
- **2022** — Diagnosed with bipolar disorder; begins advocating for mental health awareness
- **2023** — Releases debut EP Shhh (November); performs at SXSW 2024 showcase
- **2025** — Cast as Zoey in Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters; signs with Republic Records; HUNTR/X 'Golden' hits #1 on Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200; performs on SNL, Tonight Show, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- **2026** — HUNTR/X wins Grammy (Best Song Written for Visual Media) and Oscar (Best Original Song) for 'Golden' — both firsts for K-pop; named Billboard Women in Music Hitmaker; working on solo album

## Achievements

- First K-pop song to win a Grammy Award (Best Song Written for Visual Media, 68th Grammy Awards, 2026)
- First K-pop song to win an Academy Award (Best Original Song, 98th Oscars, 2026)
- First K-pop act to top the US Billboard Hot 100 (as HUNTR/X)
- First K-pop act to top the US Spotify daily chart (July 8, 2025)
- 'Golden' longest-running #1 by a fictional act on the UK Singles Chart (10 non-consecutive weeks)
- 'Golden' #1 in 30+ countries including US, UK, South Korea, Germany, Australia
- 'Golden' 5x Platinum certified in US and Australia, 8x Platinum in Canada
- Sub Urban 'Freak' feature accumulated 292 million YouTube views
- KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most-watched film of all time
- Billboard Women in Music 2026 Hitmaker
- Golden Globe Award winner 2026 (Best Original Song)
- Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Song
- 34.1 million monthly Spotify listeners (April 2026)

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — 34.1 million monthly Spotify listeners; actively creating TikTok content breaking down HUNTR/X harmonies
- **2026-03** — Performed 'Golden' live at the 98th Academy Awards; won Best Original Song Oscar
- **2026-02** — Won Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media for 'Golden' at 68th Grammy Awards; named Billboard Women in Music Hitmaker
- **2026-01** — Performed at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve; 'Golden' symphonic Glowin' Version released
- **2025-11** — Writing camp in Malibu working on new solo album material
- **2025-11** — Performed at 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- **2025-10** — First full-length live HUNTR/X performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (October 7)
- **2025-07** — 'Golden' hits #1 on Billboard Hot 100; first K-pop act to top US chart
- **2025-06** — KPop Demon Hunters released on Netflix; becomes most-watched Netflix film of all time; signs with Republic Records

## Links

- Twitter/X: https://x.com/reiamimami
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqrgJZq4jMkXJ0-H5DXyM_Q
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rei.ami/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReiAmiMami
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rei.ami

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rei-ami
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-24